Oil spill off Batu Maung contained

GEORGE TOWN: The oil spill from the Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel which collided with a shipwreck off Batu Maung has been contained.

State executive councillor in charge of environment, Phee Boon Poh, said yesterday the situation is under control.

There were fears that the oil spill would damage the ecosystem of aquaculture farms.

The aquaculture industry in Penang is the second biggest in the country, yielding some RM1 billion in revenue annually for breeders and operators.

In the pre-dawn collision last Thursday, the vessel Xin Yi Yi spilled up to six tons of diesel and engine oil some three nautical miles from the Batu Maung shoreline.

The five crewmen, including the skipper, were rescued but the collision had sparked a widespread concern about the seeping of oil into the sea.

“We have directed the ship owner to take the necessary measures, among which is to lift the ship’s hull from the water,” Northern Region’s marine department director Kapt Abdul Samad Shaik Osman said.

“The owner plans to deploy divers to inspect the damage and make preparations to lift the boat up.”

He said some additional minor oil spills could occur due to rough weather conditions.

Phee said the oil spill would evaporate because of the type of marine gas oil used by the vessel.